Standing Up For Women

Strong Women, Strong Communities

As a working mom who raised three sons, I know from experience that women’s issues really are family issues.

Advocating for women and families has been an important part of my life and career. I have always firmly believed that women should have equal opportunities and the right to have their voices heard- whether it’s in the workplace, in the classroom or in government. As women, we’ve made great strides in all of these areas over my lifetime, but as long as women in the 17th district still earn just $.72 for every dollar a man makes at the same job, our work isn’t finished.

This is why I strongly support policies to strengthen women across America such as equal pay for equal work, earned paid family leave, protecting a woman’s right to choose, renewing and improving the Violence Against Women Act, reducing sexual assaults on college campuses, and making sure that women always have access to preventative health and family planning services.

More on Standing Up For Women

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) joined the Diversifying Technology Caucus, a new bipartisan coalition dedicated to encouraging more women, minorities and veterans to enter Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related fields. “We know that companies with diverse leadership out-perform their peers, yet many companies in the booming technology industry are not reflective of the […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and a bipartisan coalition of House Members led by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (NY-12) announced they will soon introduce the House version of the Campus Accountability and Safety Act (CASA), which takes aim at sexual assaults on college and university campuses by protecting and empowering students, strengthening accountability […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the 6th anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) called on Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to help close the still persistent wage gap between men and women. In Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, women make only 73 cents on the dollar compared to men […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tonight, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) released the following statement at the conclusion of the President’s State of the Union Address: “Strengthening our middle class has always been my top focus in representing Northwest and Central Illinois, so I was encouraged to hear the President speak tonight about working toward an economy that […]